Cute as a Button

I just discovered these lovely pillows from Letter Perfect Designs. I just love the monogrammed button letters on the pillows.

It's just another great way to repurpose buttons! For more button inspiration, see Susan Beal's new book, Button It Up.

Scenes from Puyallup

I headed down to the Sewing & Stitchery Expo in Puyallup to check out the sewing scene. Okay, I admit was also lured by the prospect of fair scones and onion cheeseburgers.

I was not disappointed on any count.

I must admit that Michaela and I sort of looked like urban aliens amidst the patchwork vests and comfortable shoes in the halls, but we had good fun eking out the newest trends and technology. I thought I'd emerge with only my food expenses but toward the end of the day, I spied buttons at Marci Tilton's booth, remarkable, unique works of art from Paris' last button factory. My favorites are a sheet of six carved shell buttons that have a ring of velvet embedded in each one. I look forward to making button creations for CraftStylish this month (in honor of Susan Beal's new book, Button It Up); I'm newly inspired.

I also bought some quirky patterned organic cotton fabric from Pacific Fabrics. It's got "cute summer skirt" written all over it.

I've included a few photos to give you the fever for the flavor of the Puyallup. Got an extra $12K laying about? Maybe you'll be interested in the new Bernina...

Crafting Your Personality

What does your chosen craft say about you? This is the question I ponder this week in an essay on CraftStylish. As someone who knits, sews, makes jewelry, whips up lotions and potions, and dabbles in various other handcrafts, I'm certainly a bit ADD, but I'd also like to think I'm traditional, cutting-edge, cool, and earthy, as well as a passel of other great adjectives.

How do you think your craft has shaped your personality or defined you?

Gifts for guys: a tutorial

Buying or making gifts for guys has always been a challenge. I have bought my brothers books, my dad a running watch or train memorabilia. One year, everyone received hand-knitted scarves; another Christmas, I gave pajama bottoms to the dudes (Old Navy loved me that year). But while women seem like a breeze to make something for, guys present a dilemma. They have everything already or it's questionable that they'll like what you create.

CraftStylish has loads of great ideas; this week, the site is running a gift guide of tutorials for all the boys to men in your life. I kick things off today with a tutorial on "shoe submarines," small inserts that he can slip into his stinky shoes to absorb moisture and odor. It's a great stocking stuffer for the gym rat or running enthusiast.

Come to think of it, it's just the thing for my running fool of a father...

Pajama bottoms and insomnia

It's been a kookaloo time, I'm not gonna lie. I've been hit with the perfect storm of deadlines and I've been seriously treading water. So what happens is that I go to bed late and then wake up during those hours of early morning that no one should ever really see unless you have a 6am flight or work a hideous construction shift.

Anyway, I was hit with some insomnia and a time change adjustment (I just got back from the East Coast), and was wide awake at 5:30 yesterday morning. My mind just started racing, thinking about everything I have to accomplish and other pesky issues that don't have answers quite yet. So I got up and knocked out a pair of pajama bottoms, which ended up as this week's tutorial on CraftStylish. I am obsessed with this mountain map fabric and I love the results, which I think are pretty durn cute considering my blurred vision.

The bird mobile is up and running

My lovely and talented and beautiful friend Melissa made me this gorgeous bird mobile for my birthday. It arrived last week and I finally managed to hang it today. How cool is this? Seriously? It makes my crib look so stylish.

Check out Melissa's other crafty pursuits on her flickr page.

Enter CraftStylish's flower power challenge!

Craftanistas, check out the Flower Power Challenge that CraftStylish is running through the end of the month.

Create a pretty flower in your own crafty style, post a picture, and you could bloom as one of four lucky winners. Four winners will receive the ultimate embellishment package: an assortment from the new Crafty Chica Craft product line, the fab Crafty Chica book, The Crafty Chica Collection: Beautiful Ideas for Crafts, Home Decorations and Shrines from the Queen of Latina Style, and a copy of the smokin' hot premiere issue of CraftStylish Quick Gifts to Make.

Click here for more details.

Cabin fever

I spent a few hours today sewing with Michaela. I was champing at the bit to make a pillow out of some log-cabiny fabrics I found last weekend at Boersma's Sewing Center in McMinnville. I'm thrilled with the result. One side is a wood-grain print and the other is a cool mountain map fabric.

And check out the adorable kid's dress Michaela whipped up without a pattern in just a couple of hours (completely lined with muslin).

We both brought out the Brother 6000s. After Michaela tried mine out and found out that it was $139.99 on overstock.com, she had to get her own to add to her machine collection!

McMinnville craft motherlode

My friend Jessica and I were in McMinnville, Oregon this weekend for a wedding and we took time to enjoy the haunted Hotel Oregon (art adorns the rooms, the hallways, pretty much the entire building). Then we discovered Boersma's. We started at Boersma's Knitting Basket and each bought some gorg yarn. In my "spare" time, I'm going to start a smoky grey shawl. Then we moved onto Boersma's Sewing Center.

Sweet baby Jesus.

The store was huge and packed with scrumpdilious fabric and great, modern ideas on how to use them creatively. We started picking out bolts and piling them up at the counter.

Then we found out the sale fabrics were in the basement.

Sweet sassy molassey.

Needless to say, our stash grew by leaps and bounds yesterday. I am already fixin' to make a cool cabin-style pillow with the retro mountain map fabric.

In my spare time, of course.

The Pajama Game

I got together today with Michaela Murphy (CraftStylish.com's awesome editor) for a crafternoon. With Michaela's help, I sort of cobbled together a pajama pattern, using this adorable cherry fabric (with rickrack at the hems!), while Michaela whipped out seven pillows with complete nonchalance.

I can't wait for our next get-together, so I can be inspired by Michaela and her home, a wonderful blend of vintage, kitsch, and exquisite taste. It was just what I needed to get creatively rejuiced.

Rockin' graduation gift

Along with her mom, my high school friend Sheila (Go Lakers!) made this quilt for her son's (gulp) high school graduation. Isn't it gorg? She used Cody's jerseys and t-shirts for the quilt, which I'm confident will make him the BMOC when he hits the college scene.

This made me gasp

Check out this amazing idea for a quilted calendar on the iheartlinen blog. Rashida includes a lot of photos to give you an idea of the calendar's construction. Could this BE any cuter? Seriously.

Crafts and cocktails

After a awesome girly brunch at Amy's bachelorette pad this morning, I scurried home and vacuumed before Sandra came over—with her Kenmore in tow—for an afternoon of sewing and drinks (check out her Go2Girl custom-designed aprons here). After four hours, we were still sewing away and brainstorming book ideas, but we were also doing spot-on impressions of swollen-lipped Daisy on Rock of Love 2.

"I, like, want to be with Bret for ever and ever. Like, why can't he see that? What is the big deal with living with my ex-boyfriend? I have crazy-ass feelings for Bret, not Charles. BRET."

"I want to get down and dirty with Bret. Like, Sin City, HELLO?"

Good times.

Before I drank too much, however, I ironed and cut out pieces for a cute tote bag from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing. I didn't have all the notions I needed so I set that aside and I whipped out another checkbook cover instead.

It was a great Sunday.

Sew obsessed

Just made a checkbook cover. I am over the moon about this chicken fabric and my new chicken checkbook. Very Easter-appropriate, don't you think?

Done!

The tunic is done! How cute it this?

"Why no, I didn't get it at Anthropologie. Actually, I made it."

Almost there!

It's still not done (deep sigh) but I can smell really cute success. I just have to add trim to the armholes and put in the buttonholes. I so can't wait until someone asks me if I got the top at Anthropologie.

"No, actually, I made it."

Snap!

It's still not done

After another sewing class yesterday, I can taste victory in the form of a really cute top. Alas, however, it's still not done and I am going to need additional assistance to wrap it up. It's going to be mad cute though, right?

My first solo project!

After brunching with a friend and then teaching another gal how to knit socks, I finally got to sewing. I just made my solo foray into sewing with my new Brother 6000. I made a pair of nice heavy cloth napkins. Civilized, n'est pas?

Sew excited

I finally settled on a sewing machine. I ordered the Brother 6000 from Overstock.com ($139.99, can you believe?), based on a recommendation from Julie McCullough Kim, the owner of Make Shop and Studio in Dallas. She left me a comment on this blog and we started e-mailing fast and furiously. I love cyber-networking and cyber-friendships, don't you?

She and I did a bit of trade as well. While I was fresh out of surgery (breast reduction—yay!), I received a package filled with the most amazing hobo bag and laptop case from her EnJu line. The laptop case (see photo) is divine and is the unique but functional bag I've been searching for. Why are most laptop bags still so boring? If you are looking for something different, check out Julie's other bags at the EnJu link above (she's also got a store on etsy.com).

I can't wait for my sewing machine to arrive so I can get cookin' myself. I signed up for a class at The Quilting Loft here in Seattle. I'm going to be making an Amy Butler tunic pattern. Photos will be forthcoming if it turns out! I can't wait to make a top to fit my new shape.